Crooked Immigration Officers Going Down

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A Border Patrolman who quit to become an "immigration consultant" could spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of bribery and conspiracy.

A federal jury convicted George Wu, 62, of Pico Rivera of conspiracy and five counts of bribery of a public official.

Wu was convicted of taking and paying bribes to attorneys and immigration officials to get immigration benefits for his clients. Unfortunately for Wu, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service agent he bribed with $3,000 was working undercover with USCIS.

Eleven people have been charged with allied crimes and seven have been convicted, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, including Michael Bui, an "immigration consultant" who worked with Wu.

Two USCIS officials have pleaded guilty, one to false statements and one to taking a bribe, and immigration officer-turned-attorney Kwang Man "John" Lee pleaded guilty in March to paying "tens of thousands of bribes to a senior Immigrations Services officer with USCIS and arranging sham marriages to secure green cards for clients," the U.S. attorney said. At least three other immigration officials have been charged.

Wu faces up to 5 years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to 15 years on each of his five counts of bribery at his Nov. 2 sentencing.

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